Container for transporting heated foodstuff and related lid

ABSTRACT

Container for transporting heated foodstuff including a bowl vessel provided with an openable lid for the airtight sealing including an inner wall and an outer wall delimiting an intermediate interspace which, in the closed condition of the lid, communicates with the vessel through a plurality of first holes formed in the inner wall and with the atmosphere through a plurality of second holes formed in the outer wall of the lid.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to containers expressly designed fortransporting heated foodstuff typically from the place of production tothe place where the food will be consumed still hot, so as to preserveheat thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Containers thus made, usually made of plastic material or cardboard oraluminum, usually comprise a bowl vessel provided with an openable lidfor the airtight sealing of the vessel.

With such containers, during the transfer of the heated foodstuffcontained therein the developed vapor within the vessel rises towardsthe lid and condensates on the inner wall thereof, thus precipitating inliquid state on the food product hence jeopardizing flavor andorganoleptic characteristics thereof.

The solution of providing the lid with openings for venting the vaporgenerated during cooking is known in a different sector of the art, andin particular in the field of cooking pots and similar vessels forcooking food. An example is described in document U.S. Pat. No.2,643,024, which addresses the technical problem related to thedischarge of the vapor produced in the pot when cooking the foodproduct.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses a different technical drawback, and morein particular that related to transporting cooked foodstuff and stillhot so as to preserve both the heat and flavor thereof.

Thus, the object of the present invention is that of overcoming suchdrawback in an extremely functional but simultaneously simple andinexpensive manner from a construction point of view.

According to the invention this object is attained due to the fact thatthe lid of the transport container includes an inner wall and an outerwall delimiting an intermediate interspace which, in the closedcondition of the lid, communicates with the vessel through a pluralityof first holes formed in the inner wall and with the atmosphere througha plurality of second holes formed in the outer wall of the lid.

Due to this solution idea, during transport the vapor generated by theheated foodstuff arranged in the container is capable of controllablyventing first in the intermediate interspace of the lid, through theholes of the inner wall thereof, and then to the atmosphere through theholes of the outer wall. This allows preventing the condensation of thevapor within the vessel, without however subjecting the foodstuff tosudden cooling, thus maintaining the flavor thereof substantiallyunaltered at least within the period of time required for transportthereof from the place of production to the place of consumption.

Such advantageous result can be further increased, according to apreferred embodiment of the invention, by providing the second holes ofthe outer wall having substantially smaller dimensions with respect tothose of the first holes of the inner wall. This allows a relativelyquick outflow of the vapor from the vessel towards the intermediateinterspace, and a slower release thereof towards the atmosphere. Theheat of the vapor temporarily stored within the intermediate interspacecontributes to maintain the foodstuff arranged within the transportcontainer hot.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be apparentover the detailed description that follows, with reference to theattached drawings provided purely by way of non-limiting example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a containerfor transporting heated foodstuff according to the invention,represented in the closed condition of the lid thereof,

FIG. 2 is a view analogous to FIG. 1 in the open condition of the lid,

FIG. 3 is a an enlarged scale cross-sectional view according to lineIII-III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 shows a variant of the transport container according to theinvention, in the open condition of the related lid,

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a further variant of the transportcontainer according to the invention,

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view showing the transport containeraccording to FIG. 5 stacked with an identical transport container,

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the bowl of the transport container of theFIG. 5,

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of FIG. 7 exemplifying two differentconfigurations of the bowl, and

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a detail represented in FIGS. 8and 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Initially referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the container according to theinvention, expressly intended for transporting heated foodstufftypically from the place of cooking to the place of consumption,comprises a vessel 1 generally a quadrangular-shaped bowl, and a lid forairtight sealing 2 applied openable on the top part of the vessel 1.

In a generally known manner, and as illustrated in detail in FIG. 3, thevessel 1 has a perimeter engagement edge 3 on which there is engaged acomplementary perimeter edge 4 of the lid 2 providing, in the closedcondition thereof, a substantially airtight coupling. In order tofurther improve the airtight sealing, the opposite edges of the bowl 1and of the lid 2 may be provided with removable pressure-fittingmembers, for example in form of projections and complementary recesses,mutually disengageable when opening the transport container.

According to the distinctive characteristic of the invention the lid 2has a double structure formed by an inner wall 5 and by an outer wall 6,between which there is defined an intermediate interspace 7 (FIG. 3).

The walls 5 and 6 are in turn formed with respective mutual sealingcoupling perimeter edges 4 a, 4 b which—in their entirety—constitute theairtight coupling edge 4 on the perimeter edge 3 of the vessel 1.

The inner 5 and outer 6 walls can be formed by two distinct elements or,more conveniently, they can be made in a single piece, for examplethermoformed plastic material. In such case, as illustrated in FIGS. 2and 3, they are joined to each other in an integral articulatedhinge-like manner along one side 2 a of the lid 2.

The inner wall 5 of the lid 2 is made with a plurality of through holes8, and the outer wall 6 is in turn made with a plurality of throughholes 9. The holes 8, for example circular or any other shape, havedimensions substantially larger than those of the holes 9, and they areconveniently offset i.e. non-aligned with respect thereto.

During use, the container 1 is intended to be used for transferringheated foodstuff (for example roast chicken, rotisserie products and thelike) from the place of production to the place of consumption, with thelid 2 hermetically closed on the vessel 1. When transporting the heatedfoodstuff the vapor developed thereby, instead of remaining andcondensing within the container, rising upwards, vents into theintermediate interspace 7 through the holes 8. This prevents the vaporfrom condensing against the inner wall 5 of the container, dripping inliquid phase on the food product hence subjecting the latter todegradation. Thus, the vapor introduced into the interspace 7 isadvantageously discharged into the external environment of the lid 2through the holes 9.

Due to the differentiated dimensions of the holes 8 and 9 the heat ofthe food is preserved due to the temporary permanence of the vaporwithin the interspace 7, which thus reduces the cooling speed of thefoodstuff.

The bowl vessel 1 and the lid 2 can be made using any suitable materialand preferably using plastic material for food products, for exampletransparent, molded or more conveniently thermoformed. In this case,according to the variant illustrated in FIG. 4, instead of the lid 2being formed by an element separate from vessel 1 it can be made in asingle piece therewith. The inner wall 5 with the holes 8 is joined to aside 3 a of the perimeter edge 3 of the vessel 1 through an integralelastic hinge 10, while the outer wall 6 is joined on the opposite side3 b of the perimeter edge 3 through an integral elastic hinge 11. Thecontainer is closed, starting from the open condition represented inFIG. 4, firstly by folding the inner wall 5 on the vessel 1 and thenfolding the outer wall 6 on the inner wall 5, thus providing a couplingbetween the perimeter edge 4 b and the perimeter edge 3 of the vessel 1and defining the intermediate interspace 7.

According to a variant (not illustrated) the inner wall 5 of the lid 2can instead be joined, through an integral elastic hinge, to the side ofthe outer wall 6 opposite to the integral hinge 11 for joining to thebowl 1, and thus folded within such outer wall 6. In a further variant(not illustrated), in which the lid 2 is also made in a single piecewith the vessel 1, the inner wall 5 is integrally elastic-hinge-joinedalong one side thereof to the side 3 a or 3 b of the vessel 1, and theouter wall 6 is integrally elastic-hinge-joined along one side thereofto the side of the inner wall 5 opposite to the vessel 1.

In another variant (not illustrated) the inner wall 5 and the outer wall6 of the lid can be made separately, and thus kept distinct orsubsequently joined to each other, for example by welding.

FIGS. 6 to 9, in which parts identical or similar to those describedpreviously are indicated using the same reference numbers, show afurther variant of the transport container according to the invention,having a different shape and further distinctive characteristics.

The bowl 1, with corrugated and slightly offset lateral walls, has abottom wall 12 slightly projecting inwards, thus externally defining arecess for the shape-coupling with the lid 2 of an identical underlyingtransport container, in the stacked condition represented in FIG. 6.

Furthermore the bottom wall 12 has a series (three in the illustratedexample) of transverse grooves 13 which can be selectively used for theremovable insertion of partition elements 14, one of which isrepresented in detail in FIG. 10, provided with projecting lateral feet15. This allows the bowl 1 for example to acquire the differentconfigurations represented in FIGS. 8 and 9, in which the interiorvolume of the transport container is divided into two or three separatecompartments, to accommodate respective different food products.

Obviously, the construction details and the embodiments my widely varywith respect to what has been described and illustrated, withoutdeparting from the scope of protection of the present invention asdefined in the claims that follow. Thus, for example, instead of beingmade of plastic material the container according to the invention couldbe made of metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, terracotta orother material.

Lastly, it should be observed that the solution idea according to theinvention can be applied to containers already provided with aperforated lid or, analogously, to perforated lids previously providedfor: in this case such lid, which will define the inner wall 5 or theouter wall 6, will be completed with the additional element solelyconstituted by the outer wall 6 with the relative holes 9, orrespectively solely by the inner wall 5 with the relative holes 8,applied to the previously provided lid in a substantially airtightmanner and such to define the intermediate interspace 7 therewith.

1. Container for transporting heated foodstuff comprising a bowl vesselprovided with an openable lid for the airtight sealing of the vessel,wherein the lid includes an inner wall and an outer wall delimiting anintermediate interspace which, in the closed condition of the lid,communicates with the vessel through a plurality of first holes formedin the inner wall and with the atmosphere through a plurality of secondholes formed in the outer wall of the lid.
 2. Container according toclaim 1, wherein the second holes have dimensions substantially smallerthan those of the first holes.
 3. Container according to claim 1,wherein said inner wall has a perimeter edge for airtight coupling on aperimeter edge of the vessel and said outer wall has a perimeter edgefor airtight coupling with the perimeter edge of the first inner wall.4. Container according to claim 3, wherein it is generallyquadrangular-shaped and said inner wall is made in a single piece withsaid outer wall and it is hinge-joined thereto along one side of thelid.
 5. Container according to claim 1, wherein the lid is made in asingle piece with the vessel and it is connected thereto through elastichinge means.
 6. Container according to claim 1, wherein it is generallyquadrangular-shaped and said lid is made in a single piece with thevessel, with said inner wall hinge-joined along one side of the vesseland said outer wall hinge-joined on the opposite side of the vessel. 7.Container according to claim 1, wherein it is generallyquadrangular-shaped and said lid is made in a single piece with thevessel, with said outer wall hinge joined along one side of the vesseland said inner wall hinge-joined on the opposite side of the outer wall.8. Container according to claim 1, wherein said vessel has a bottom wallprojecting therein and externally defining a recess for theshape-coupling with the lid of an identical underlying transportcontainer, in a mutually stacked condition.
 9. Container according toclaim 7, wherein said bottom wall has transverse grooves for theremovable selective insertion of partition elements adapted to dividethe interior volume of the container into separate compartments. 10.Container according to claim 1, wherein it is obtained throughthermoforming a plastic material for food products.
 11. Containeraccording to claim 1, wherein said inner wall or respectively said outerwall constitute the previously existing lid of the container.
 12. Lidfor containers for transporting heated foodstuff, wherein it includes aninner wall and an outer wall coupled substantially airtight with respectto each other and delimiting an intermediate interspace, a plurality offirst holes being made in the inner wall and a plurality of second holesbeing made in the outer wall.
 13. Lid according to claim 12, whereinsaid inner wall is hinge joined to said outer wall along one side of thelid.
 14. Lid according to claim 12, wherein the second holes havedimensions substantially smaller than those of the first holes.
 15. Lidaccording to claim 12, wherein it is generally quadrangular-shaped andit is made in a single piece with a generally quadrangular-shaped bowlvessel and connected thereto through integral elastic hinge means. 16.Lid according to claim 12, wherein it is obtained through thermoforminga plastic material for food products.
 17. Lid according to claim 12,wherein said inner wall or respectively said outer wall constitute thepreviously existing lid of a container.